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﻿4: TIIK OKEAl). I regarded as entirely beueath my notice, although I was not over wise even for fourteen, and the teacher was a sensible, well educated woman. “The farmer lads and lasses, I regarded as not ou an equality with myself, though I have since thought that wore such the case they were much to be pitied. “I knew nothing about work, and grandmother always said, when I offered uiy assistance in kitchen or dairy,that while young 1 ought to enjoy myself, that I would be obliged to work hard enough by and hy. Thus thrown on rny own resources, and, mi fortunately, not having any, I moped idly about until I made a great discovery in the garret of a barrel of old newspapers and magazines full of stories, and several old novels in torn, yellow covers.— How I revelled in those romances! I became so completely absorbed in the terrific adventures and marvelous escapes of my heroqs and heroines that 1 loot inter.st in everything else ; went about in morning wrappers and slippers, hair down or twisted into a fronz-ly knot with a hair pin ; took no exercise, and as a natural consequence ot so unnatural a mode of living, lost my appetite and gradually my strength, until 1 became so thin and pale and languid, that grandmother became alarmed, and sent for Dr. Lathrop, an excellent physician, and a sensible straightforward man. He - canto, and ftt'tur tbo fuiv stereotyped questions, said : “What time in the morning do yon rise?’ “About eight,” I replied hesita-tii>gly. “She has been so jwiorlv, doctor,” said grandmother apohu'Cti-cully. “Wliat do you do all day after motl»cr had written that she had you get up f’ con tinned the doc- j feared you were going into a de- tor, noticing neither iny reply nv grandmother's apology, save by an emphatic‘umph !’ “1 don’t do much but read,” I answered, for I could not think of the regular, daily performance of a single duty. “What is the character of your reading f’ he asked ; history ? or novels ? or scientific works ? “Under this close questioning, it all at oneo flashed upon me, wb:*t an idle, useless.life, I hail led, and I felt heartily ashamed of myself; lint acting nor other wa\H dine, anJ I was 6o delighted to have j’on come and see our wonderful baby. Willie was only a year old, I was thirteen, and you, sixteen, Emma.” “llow odd it seems,” Carrio said, “to hear you and Aunt Em. talk about being girls.” “It seems but a very little while since then,” replied Mrs. Clinton. “Only twenty three year*,” saiy ami the sensational novel?.’ I shall ^ contented, that, grandmother was never forget my mortification, quite willing to have my vi»it ex-whqn I saw the look of disgust j tended to six mouths, and como into hm face us he turned the it father's JgeStion and my earn-ieaves, and glanced over a few pa-. e.-t entreaty, consented to *my re-ges. Laying down the h<>ok hei tnrniu^, Jiftyr a short visit at hftme, looked toward gran jiinrthcr, iyid to euter school. This t but said, ‘my proscription for this' mj progress m study waS slow, child is that she have something to So much reading wlych required do, out door exercise, and a1>on- ^ no mental etiort, had made me tire madu out of thiS barrel of mentally indolent, and rendered it nonsense.’ -almost impossible lor mo to con- “Ilearose togo,but seeing gran?l-Kjentrata my thought* npou any mother’s troubled tace and. the subject, lint 1 endured the study tears in my eyes, lie added that if j for the sake of being where I could thw prescription did no good, hejhavo.my daily food,.—excitement. would eome again and open hiaH saddlebags. Grandmother commenced upon his plan, but how long *he would “Mother had.uttemj*tcd to make me industrious and ordeily, as she had dobe my eijtor Currie, but lid not succeed very well, I am have contained I do not kdo.w, fur,; ashamed to say. I livea •■Jlflyfor very soon after the doctor’s viyt,; my own enjoyment. I loved my I received a letter 1rom father, '^i'tcr, but fancied because she was saying he would like toliave me-three ^ears younger thau myself, come hoinc for a visit.” -1l^t I could not enjoy her society. “How well I remember that !”►[ loved Willie too, dear little fel-iuterrupted Mrs. Clinton. . ^ low I but he was too much trouble. “Father and mother were bo 1 “I remember one evening when troubled about you, foi^ grand- ( Mr. Rich culled ujk>» me, Willio